Canada's Worley Awarded Design Contract for 1,000 MW Pumped Storage Project

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On August 18, TC Energy confirmed that it has selected Worley to lead the next phase of engineering services for a pumped storage project in Ontario, Canada. The scope of work includes front-end engineering design, project concept development, cost estimation, implementation planning, and construction readiness. EllisDon and AECOM will participate in the project as team members, with no construction commencement or EPC turnkey contracting currently involved.

The project has a planned installed capacity of 1,000 megawatts and is proposed to be built at the 4th Canadian Division Training Centre near Meaford, Ontario. The project will draw water from Georgian Bay, pump it to a new reservoir above the Niagara Escarpment during periods of low electricity demand, and generate power through an underground water conveyance system during peak demand periods, with a designed continuous power supply duration of up to approximately 11 hours.

Worley will be responsible for coordinating engineering design and project delivery preparation, EllisDon will primarily provide construction management and project implementation expertise, and AECOM will participate in engineering and infrastructure technical work. The project team will also select Ontario-based businesses, suppliers, and professional service providers through TC Energy's local procurement program, and will incorporate Indigenous employment and supplier participation into project execution requirements.

In January 2025, the Government of Ontario committed up to CAD 285 million to support preliminary work including detailed cost estimation, engineering design, federal and provincial environmental assessments, and community consultation. The project is being advanced in partnership between TC Energy and the Saugeen Ojibway Nation, with the federal impact assessment process launched in March 2026. Engineering, environmental, and regulatory reviews are still required at this stage.

The project is tentatively scheduled to reach a final investment decision around 2028, with construction planned from 2029 to 2035 and a target of commercial operation in 2035. These milestones remain subject to federal and provincial approvals, the final engineering plan, investment decisions, and land use arrangements with the Canadian Department of National Defence.